Why Norway? | Nobels fredspris You are here:: Home > Nobel Peace Prize > Why Norway? Why Norway? No one knows for certain why Alfred Nobel wanted the Peace Prize in particular to be awarded by a Norwegian committee - or what prompted him to include Norway in the Nobel Prize proceedings at all. There is a good deal of evidence to suggest that it was through his friendship with the Austrian author and peace activist Bertha von Suttner that he became convinced that peace ought to be included among the five prize categories. But could he not just as well have given a Swedish committee responsibility for the award? He may have been influenced by a number of circumstances. For one thing, there was a union between Sweden and Norway, and it may in many ways have seemed right and proper for the union's little brother also to have a say. Seeing that Sweden's research in the natural sciences and medicine was more advanced than Norway's, it was natural to establish those prize committees in Sweden. Nobel was a great admirer of Norwegian literature, but Norway as a nation had no literary institution capable of managing the Literature Prize with the authority of the Swedish Academy. Peace was the only remaining area.

Nobel may moreover also have felt that Norway was in fact better suited than Sweden to awarding a prize for peace. The country did not have the same militaristic traditions as Sweden, and at the end of the nineteenth century the Norwegian Storting (legislative assembly) had become closely involved in the Inter-Parliamentary Union and its efforts to resolve conflicts through mediation and arbitration. It would appear that Nobel set great store by such commitment. It has also been suggested that Nobel may have been influenced by his adviser Ragnar Sohlman, whose wife was Norwegian, or by the Norwegian author and campaigner for peace Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, whom Nobel greatly admired. ON NOBEL PEACE PRIZE The Nobel Prize Photo: Dan Hansson/TT The Nobel Prize – awarding great minds Every year in early October, the world turns its gaze towards Sweden and Norway as the Nobel Prize winners are announced. In December, this prestigious award is celebrated in Stockholm and Oslo. The prestigious award that captures the world’s attention The Nobel Prize is considered the most prestigious award in the world. Prize-winning discoveries include X-rays, radioactivity and penicillin. Peace Laureates include Nelson Mandela and the 14th Dalai Lama.

Nobel Laureates in Literature, including Gabriel García Márquez and Doris Lessing, have thrilled readers with works such as One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Grass is Singing. Every year in early October, the world turns its gaze towards Sweden and Norway as the Nobel Laureates are announced in Stockholm and Oslo. Millions of people visit the website of the Nobel Foundation during this time. The Nobel Prize has been awarded to people and organisations every year since 1901 (with a few exceptions such as during World War II) for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. Nobel Day is 10 December. For the prize winners, it is the crowning point of a week of speeches, conferences and receptions. At the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm on that day, the Laureates in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature receive a medal from the King of Sweden, as well as a diploma and a cash award. The ceremony is followed by a gala banquet. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo the same day.

Prize in Economic Sciences In 1968, Sweden’s central bank (Sveriges Riksbank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The prize is based on a donation received by the Nobel Foundation in 1968 from the central bank to mark the bank’s 300th anniversary. The Prize in Economic Sciences is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, following the same principles as the Nobel Prizes. Legacy of Alfred Nobel The Nobel Prize is the legacy of Sweden’s Alfred Nobel (1833–1896). Prizes are awarded to ‘those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.’ When he signed his last will in 1895, Nobel declared that the bulk of his estate should be converted into a fund and invested in safe securities. The four institutions in Sweden and Norway (the two countries were united between 1814 and 1905) conferring the prizes were to be the Swedish Academy of Sciences, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, the Academy in Stockholm and a committee of five people to be elected by the Norwegian parliament (Stortinget).

The Nobel Foundation In 1900, the four institutions awarding the prizes agreed to create the Nobel Foundation, a private institution based on Alfred Nobel’s will. The Nobel Foundation would administer Nobel’s estate, totalling SEK 31 million, make public announcements and arrange the prize ceremonies. The total amount awarded each year is based on the most recent return on investment. The capital is currently worth around SEK 4 billion, almost double the value of the original estate when adjusted for inflation. The Nobel Prize in each category is currently worth SEK 8 million. There can be up to three recipients for each prize, who share the sum between them. Organisations affiliated with the prize The Nobel Prize is affiliated with several organisations and institutions entrusted with different tasks related to the prize. The Nobel Foundation Rights Association was established in 1999 to provide information through a variety of media about the Nobel Laureates and their achievements.

This non-profit association serves as an umbrella organisation for four other entities: Nobel Media AB, which develops and manages programmes, productions and media rights of the Nobel Prize within the areas of digital and broadcast media, publishing as well as events; The Nobel Museum AB, housed in the Old Stock Exchange Building (Börshuset) in Stockholm’s Old Town, creates interest and spreads knowledge around the natural sciences and culture, The Nobel Peace Center, at Rådhusplassen in Oslo, Norway, a showcase which presents the Nobel Peace Prize and the work of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates; and The Nobel Prize Education Fund, which supports educational outreach focused on the achievements of Nobel Laureates. Nobel Prize trivia 48 women The Nobel Prize and the Prize in Economic Sciences have been awarded to women 49 times from 1901 to 2016. One woman, Marie Curie, has been honoured twice, receiving the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

This means a total of 48 women have received Nobel Prizes to date: 16 have received the Peace Prize, 14 the Prize in Literature, 12 in Physiology/Medicine, 4 in Chemistry (including Curie), 2 in Physics (including Curie) and 1 in Economic Sciences. 90 years old The oldest Laureate to date is Leonid Hurwicz, who was 90 when he was awarded the Prize in Economic Sciences in 2007. 17 years old The youngest Laureate to date is Malala Yousafzai, who was 17 when she was awarded the Peace Prize in 2014. Two have declined Two Nobel Laureates have declined the Nobel Prize. Jean-Paul Sartre, awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, declined the award because he had consistently declined all official honours. Lê Ðức Thọ was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for negotiating the Vietnam peace agreement. Lê Ðức Thọ said he was not in a position to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, due to the situation in Vietnam.

Four forced to decline Four Nobel Laureates have been forced by authorities to decline the Nobel Prize. Adolf Hitler forbade three German Laureates – Richard Kuhn (Chemistry), Adolf Butenandt (Chemistry) and Gerhard Domagk (Physiology /Medicine) – from accepting their prizes. The Nazi regime banned all Germans from accepting Nobel Prizes after the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Carl von Ossietzky, a German writer who publicly opposed Hitler and Nazism. The three later received their awards, but not the prize money. Boris Pasternak, the 1958 Nobel Laureate in Literature, initially accepted the prize but was later coerced into declining by Soviet authorities. Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) made a fortune off dynamite – his most known invention. Photo: The Nobel Foundation The father of dynamite Alfred Nobel was a chemist, engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He was born on 21 October 1833 in Stockholm, and died on 10 December 1896 in San Remo, Italy.

He was devoted to the study of explosives, and his inventions include a blasting cap, dynamite and smokeless gunpowder. Nobel became famous across the world when the St. Gotthard Tunnel in the Swiss Alps was completed in 1881 and dynamite was used for the first time on a large scale. At the time of his death, Nobel held 355 patents in different countries. There were Nobel companies in more than 20 countries, with explosives of all kinds being manufactured under his patents in around 90 factories worldwide. Nobel lived and worked in many countries, including Sweden, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. He spoke five languages, had a passionate interest in literature, and wrote poetry and drama. He could never have imagined how important his prize would become, or how much media attention future Nobel Laureates would attract. Prize-winning discoveries (clockwise from left): X-rays; AGA lighthouse, a type of automatic lighthouse that runs on acetylene gas; the molecular structure of DNA – the double helix; penicillin.

Photos: Shutterstock; Melker Dahlstrand/ i magebank.sweden.se ; Getty Images A history of culture and science Between 1901, when the first Nobel Prize was awarded, and 2016, a total of 911 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to individuals and organisations. Together, they represent a major contribution to the cultural and scientific history of the world. There have been 885 prizes awarded to individuals and 26 to organisations. Only a few recipients have been honoured more than once, which means that a total of 881 individuals and 23 unique organisations have received prizes to date. The first Nobel Prize in Physics, in 1901, went to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen for his discovery of X-rays, used every day by healthcare providers around the World. In 1903, Marie Curie became the first female Laureate when she was named a joint winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics for her research into radioactivity. She received her second prize in 1911 – this time in chemistry – for isolating and studying the new element radium.

In 1905, Austrian baroness and author Bertha von Suttner became the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of her work with the pacifist movements in Germany and Austria. She was also widely seen as inspiring Alfred Nobel, with whom she corresponded, to create the Peace Prize. In 1912, Swedish inventor and industrialist Gustaf Dalén won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to lighthouse technology. In the early 1900s, he invented the AGA lighthouse, a type of automatic lighthouse that ran on acetylene gas. The gas supply was controlled by a sun valve that shut off the gas in daylight, and a revolving light apparatus that allowed the beacon to flash by switching the gas off and on at brief, regular intervals. The two innovations made it possible to reduce gas consumption by 90 per cent compared with earlier constructions. In the autumn of 1945, the Nobel Assembly of professors at Karolinska Institutet gathered to select a Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine.

They chose three Laureates, including Alexander Fleming, for their discovery of penicillin, which saved millions of lives in the second half of the 20th century. In 2016, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his efforts to put an end to his country’s more than 50-year-long civil war. The war has cost the lives of at least 220,000 Colombians and displaced close to six million people. Previous Nobel Peace Prize Laureates include Martin Luther King (1964), Mother Teresa (1979) and Barack Obama (2009). Nobel Laureates in Literature include Ernest Hemingway (1954), Toni Morrison (1993), Dario Fo (1997) and Mario Vargas Llosa (2010). The oldest Laureate in literature was Doris Lessing, who won the prize in 2007 at the age of 87. Around 1,300 guests are invited each year to the grand banquet.

Photo: Frederika Berghult/Nobel Media AB The four institutions awarding prizes: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel) is an independent organisation that aims to promote the sciences and enhance their influence in society. Founded in 1739, it currently has 615 members. The Swedish Academy (Nobel Prize in Literature) was founded in 1786. It consists of 18 Swedes, all elected for life. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine). Dating from 1977 in its current form, the assembly consists of 50 professors at Karolinska Institutet. The Norwegian Nobel Committee (Nobel Peace Prize) was founded in 1897 and consists of five members appointed by the Norwegian parliament. The banquet of banquets The Nobel Banquet is a magnificent party held in the Blue Hall at Stockholm City Hall. The preparations are meticulous. Hundreds of cooks, waiters and attendants ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Some 1,300 guests are invited, with each Laureate entitled to bring 14 guests beside their spouses. Sweden’s royal family is Always present, as are the prime minister and other members of the government. The Nobel family is always represented. The remainder of the guest list should reflect the cultural and scientific community of Sweden and the world. The Nobel Prize calendar The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm is held on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. On the same day, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway. Several other activities take place the same week, with receptions and dinners hosted by the institutions awarding prizes, the Nobel Foundation and the Swedish Royal Family. The Laureates deliver lectures and talk about their work, with panel discussions and other public appearances usually arranged. Traditionally, the Laureates and their spouses sit with the Royal Family at the Nobel Banquet. They are also invited to a more intimate dinner at the Royal Palace, where they meet the Royal Family again. The visit to the Nobel Foundation is a great symbolic event. The Laureates receive a document confirming the prize amount and sign their names in a guestbook, thereby joining hundreds of famous predecessors.

The Nobel week in Stockholm 5 December The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies and Banquets Lists of Nobel Prizes and Laureates 10 December - A Magic Date The Nobel Laureates take center stage in Stockholm on 10 December, when they receive the Nobel Medal, Nobel Diploma and a document confirming the Nobel Prize amount from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. In Oslo, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates receive their Nobel Peace Prize from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of King Harald V of Norway. An important part is the presentation of the Nobel Lectures by the Nobel Laureates. In Stockholm, the lectures are presented days before the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. In Oslo, the Nobel Laureates deliver their lectures during the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony. Facts Since 1901, the Nobel Prizes have been presented to the Laureates at ceremonies. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway and the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature and the Prize in Economic Sciences are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. Major International Events Where is the Nobel Prize Awarded? Where is the Nobel Prize Awarded? Where is the Nobel Prize Awarded?

Learn About the Nobel Prize Awards & Ceremony Alfred Nobel. Getty Images By Terri Mapes Updated September 30, 2015. The Nobel Prize (in Swedish it is called the "Nobelpriset") was introduced in 1901 after Alfred Nobel's request to establish such an award in his will in 1895. Where is the Nobel Prize Awarded? In December, science's biggest annual event, always taking place at the town hall of Stockholm (Swedish: Stockholms Stadshuset), Sweden, awards Nobel Laureates the Nobel Prizes for each category. The address of the town hall is Ragnar Östbergs Plan 1, Stockholm. There is a free guided tour available to visitors throughout the year, and the architecture and decoration of the rooms alone is worth a visit. Even if there is no award ceremony while you are visiting Stockholm. Make sure to see the Blue Hall, the Golden Hall, and the Nobel Presentation Hall and best go early in the day for shorter ticket lines - since the tour is free, its popularity often creates a waiting time for visitors. The tour gets especially busy during the latter part of the year when the Nobel Prize gets closer and closer.

continue reading below our video America's Best Foodie Cities Those three halls are worth noting since they are definitely the cornerstone of the entire Nobel Prize award ceremony each year in December. When is the prize awarded? The awards ceremony takes place on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, which is December 10. Each year on December 10, travelers and locals alike will find the city of Stockholm is in Nobel Prize fever. In the evening of that day, there is a prize ceremony and an elegant dinner banquet in the town hall's "Blue Hall" following it. The dinner is named Nobel Banquet (in Swedish: Nobelfesten, of Nobel Fest) and is a fine dining affair for senior officials and Nobel Prize recipients and their guests. You may be able to catch a glimpse of the dinner on the news, but sadly, that is about it. Who gives out the Nobel Prize? The King of Sweden (Carl XVI Gustaf) presents the prizes in Stockholm to each winner in the different categories. What are the categories of the Nobel Prize? There are various areas of scientific specialization in which this prize is awarded. The categories for the Nobel Prize awards are Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economics.

The only Nobel Prize that is not awarded at this annual event in Stockholm is the Nobel Peace prize, which is awarded in Oslo, Norway . How can I witness the Nobel Prize? The actual prize award ceremony of the Nobel Prize is not truly accessible to visitors, unfortunately, and getting tickets is nearly impossible. However, there is a much more easy way to be a part of the Nobel Prize each year. How, you ask? You can go see the nominees! Lectures by the Nobel Prize nominees (which are officially called the Laureates) take place the week before December 10 in Stockholm . You can attend most lectures; they are open to the public and admission is free. It's very hard to be able to attend the Nobel Prize Ceremony due to the number of specially invited guests and popular demand. So, if you happen to be visiting Stockholm in the last month or two of the year, make sure to stop by the town hall to find out more about the Nobel Prize, and become a part of a historic event.

Why the Nobel Peace Prize is Always Given by Norway News Alerts News Flash Supreme Court-appointed team suggests 9 names to run cricket board BCCI, court says that is too many people Why the Nobel Peace Prize is Always Given by Norway World | Press Trust of India | Updated: December 10, 2014 13:37 IST EMAIL PRINT COMMENTS City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize will be presented to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, is lit by the setting sun in Oslo, Norway (AP Photo) Stockholm, Sweden: Ever wondered why the Nobel Peace Prize is given by a Norwegian Committee in Oslo and not in the Swedish capital unlike the other Nobel awards? Since 1901, when Nobel Prizes were first given, Peace Prize has been awarded by a committee of five, appointed by the Norwegian Parliament Storting in accordance with Alfred Nobel's will. Alfred Nobel never disclosed why he didn't give the task of awarding the Peace Prize to a Swedish body. The reasons are speculative.

One argument is that Nobel admired Norwegian patriot and leading author Bjornstjerne Bjornson while another is that the Storting was the first national legislature to vote in support for the international peace movement. Nobel may also have favoured distribution of the tasks related to the Nobel Prizes within the Swedish-Norwegian union or he may have feared that given the highly political nature of the Peace Prize, it might become a tool in power politics thus reducing its significance as an instrument for peace. "It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not," Nobel wrote in his will. During the 20th century, eight Scandinavians have won the Peace Prize - five Swedes, two Norwegians and one Dane. In the nomination and selection process, the committee has the assistance of a secretary and since the establishment of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in 1904, this person is also the institute's director. There have been several criticism and protests against decisions of the Norwegian Nobel Committee since 1901. The Peace Prize award ceremony on December 10 is the culmination of a long selection process.

According to rules, there can be a maximum of three Laureates in a category every year. The Norwegian Nobel Committee begins the whole process by inviting nominations which can be submitted by February 1 each year. Who are entitled to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize? Present and past members of the Nobel Committee and advisers at the Nobel Institute; members of national assemblies and governments, and members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Court of Justice at the Hague and members of the Commission of the Permanent International Peace Bureau. Besides them, members of the Institut de Droit International and present university professors of law, political science, history and philosophy; and holders of the Nobel Peace Prize can also nominate. After reviewing their qualifications, a shortlist of the candidates is made. The announcement of the Laureate's name is often made on a Friday in mid-October at the Nobel Institute building and the award is presented annually on December 10, the day Alfred Nobel died in 1896. Nobelprize.org About Us Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent campaign against racism.

"He is the first person in the Western world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence", said the Chairman of the Nobel Committee in his presentation speech. Presentation of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize "I Have the Great Honour ..." Watch Martin Luther King Jr. receive his Nobel Medal and Diploma in Oslo, Norway, on 10 December 1964. Aged 35, he was then the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate ever. Watch the video For Civil Rights and Social Justice Martin Luther King Jr. dreamt that all inhabitants of the United States would be judged by their personal qualities and not by the colour of their skin. Read or listen to his Nobel Lecture "The Quest for Peace and Justice". Who Nominated Martin Luther King Jr. for a Nobel Prize? The first nomination arrived to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in January 1963. Read more Who Are They and what Did They Do? The Nobel Prizes have been awarded since 1901. See all Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and why they were awarded the prize. All Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Who Can Nominate for a Nobel Prize? No person can nominate herself/himself for a Nobel Prize. But who can?

And how are these persons chosen? Read more about how the Nobel Laureates are nominated The Nobel Prize Awarders The selection and awarding of the Nobel Laureates is based on a system of nominations, handled by four prize-awarding institutions. Nobel Week Highlights 20 photos Nine of the eleven Nobel Laureates of 2016 assembled at the Nobel Foundation. Here they are pictured standing in front of a painting of Alfred Nobel. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. Medicine Laureate Yoshinori Ohsumi showing his Nobel Medal during his visit to the Nobel Foundation. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. The Swedish Royal Family, the Nobel Laureates and other guests of honour at the Nobel Banquet in the Stockholm City Hall. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. The divertissement at the Nobel Banquet took the audience from the beginnings of music to contemporary music. Here, Martin Fröst and Magnus Lindgren are performing. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud.

The Nobel Banquet starter: Charcoal baked langoustine and scallop, served with nettles, ramson and pickled winter apples. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Dan Lepp. The menu highlighted local ingredients from Scandinavia: here quail from Södermanland in black garlic and leek ash with Jerusalem artichoke. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Dan Lepp. A beautiful dessert: Cloud of sudachi fruit, cloudberry sorbet, miso crumbs and deep-fried rice paper. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Dan Lepp. Overview from the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. David J. Thouless receiving his Nobel Prize from H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at the Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Pi Frisk. F. Duncan M. Haldane with his Nobel Prize in Physics at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Pi Frisk.

Patti Smith performing Bob Dylans's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Pi Frisk. Mrs Berit Kosterlitz gives her husband Physics Laureate J. Michael Kosterlitz a hug after the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. "You have not only awarded a prize to peace: you helped make it possible!", said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in his Nobel Lecture. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. The 2016 Nobel Prize Concert featured conductor Gianandrea Noseda, soloist Janine Jansen and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Niklas Elmehed. Medicine Laureate Yoshinori Ohsumi arriving at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT. Chemistry Laureate Ben Feringa arriving at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, for the 2016 Nobel Laureates' Get together on 6 December. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud.

Chemistry Laureate Sir J. Fraser Stoddart presenting his gift to the Nobel Museum's collection: a model of a rotaxane. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. Like many Nobel Laureates before him, Physics Laureate David J. Thouless autographs a chair at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. Bengt Holmström (left) and Oliver Hart autograph a chair at the Nobel Museum. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT. Chemistry Laureate Jean-Pierre Sauvage examines Marie Curie's radiation measurement apparatus at the Nobel Museum's exhibition 'Experiment'. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2016. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud. Awarded for "the Greatest Benefit to Mankind" Eleven persons were awarded Nobel Prizes in 2016. There are now three new Nobel Laureates in Physics, three in Chemistry, one in Physiology or Medicine, one in Literature, one in Peace and two new Laureates in Economic Sciences. See a short presentation of them here.

More information about the prize 2016 Nobel Prize Concert The Nobel Prize Concert takes place in the Stockholm Concert Hall on 8 December each year, this year featuring conductor Gianandrea Noseda, soloist Janine Jansen and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. More about the 2016 Nobel Prize Concert Nobel Week Dialogue Can we ensure food and nutrition for all? Will food be different in the future? Nobel Laureates, world-leading scientists, policy makers and the general public joined in an inspiring discussion about 'The Future of Food' at the 2016 Nobel Week Dialogue. More about the Nobel Week Dialogue Nobel Peace Prize Forum Oslo The first Nobel Peace Prize Forum Oslo was held held on Sunday 11 December. The topic was "The United States and world peace after the Presidential Election". Keynote speakers were former U.S. top officials and foreign policy experts Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski and Dr. Henry Kissinger , Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1973.

The Nobel Prize in Numbers All Nobel Laureates Between 1901 and 2016, the Nobel Prizes and the Prize in Economic Sciences were awarded 579 times to 911 people and organizations. All Nobel Prizes Nobel Prizes to Women The Nobel Prize and Prize in Economic Sciences have been awarded to women 49 times between 1901 and 2016. © Nobel Media AB. Photo: A. Mahmoud Alfred Nobel Established the Nobel Prizes On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his third and last will at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. When it was opened and read after his death, the will caused a lot of controversy both in Sweden and internationally, as Alfred Nobel had left much of his wealth for the establishment of a prize. © David Chipperfield Architects A New Home for the Nobel Prize Nobel Center is to be built on Blasieholmen, on a wonderful site along Stockholm's central waterfront. Through its broad public activities, the Nobel Center will invite people into the Nobel Prize's unique world of natural sciences, humanities and peace efforts and become a meeting place that inspires curiosity and creativity.

The Nobel Prize NobelMediaAB/ imagebank.sweden.se A short guide to the Nobel Prize The Nobel Prize is widely considered the world’s most prestigious award. It has been given to people and organisations every year since 1901 for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace and – since 1968 – economics. Here’s a short guide to the Nobel Prize. The world’s most prestigious award The Nobel Prize is the legacy of Sweden’s Alfred Nobel (1833–1896). Prizes are awarded to ‘those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.’ 10 December is Nobel Day, both in Sweden and in Norway. For the prize winners, it is the climax of a week of speeches, conferences and receptions. At the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in the Stockholm Concert Hall that day, the winners in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature receive a medal from the King of Sweden, as well as a diploma and a cash award. The ceremony is followed by a gala banquet. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo City Hall on the same day.

The Nobel Prize is currently SEK 8 million (USD 0.94 million, EUR 0.84 million) for each prize category, even when the prize is shared. There may be no more than three winners, or laureates, for each prize category. Who was Alfred Nobel? Swede Alfred Nobel was a chemist, engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He was born on 21 October 1833, in Stockholm and died on 10 December 1896, in San Remo. He was devoted to the study of explosives, and his inventions include a blasting cap, dynamite and smokeless gunpowder. Nobel became famous across the world when the St. Gotthard Tunnel was built in 1882 and dynamite was used for the first time on such a large scale. At the time of his death, Nobel held 355 patents in different countries. There were Nobel parent companies in some 20 countries and explosives of all kinds were being manufactured under his patents in around 100 factories worldwide. Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) made a fortune off dynamite – his most known invention.

Photo: The Nobel Foundation What happened with Nobel’s money? Nobel, who had no children, signed his last will in 1895 and declared that the bulk of his estate should be converted into a fund and invested in safe securities. The four institutions in Sweden and Norway conferring the prizes were to be ‘the Swedish Academy of Sciences, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, the Academy in Stockholm’ and ‘a committee of five persons to be elected by the Storting’ (the Norwegian Parliament). In 1900, the four institutions awarding the prizes agreed to create the Nobel Foundation, a private institution based on the will of Alfred Nobel. The Nobel Foundation would administer Alfred Nobel’s willed assets, totalling SEK 31 million (quite a sum of money at the time), make public announcements and arrange the prize ceremonies. The prize amount each year is based on the most recent return on investment. The capital is currently worth around SEK 4 billion (EUR 412 million, USD 453 million), which is almost twice the amount of the initial capital, taking inflation into account. Why Norway?

Sweden and Norway were still in union (1814–1905) at the time of Alfred Nobel’s will, and exactly why Nobel wanted the Peace Prize in particular to be awarded by a Norwegian committee remains unclear . Female Laureates The Nobel Prize and the Prize in Economic Sciences have been awarded to women 49 times between 1901 and 2016. One woman, Marie Curie, has been honoured twice, receiving the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This means 48 women in total have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2016. In 1905, the Austrian baroness and author Bertha von Suttner became the first female laureate, winning the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the peace movement in Germany and Austria. Four years later, in 1909, Swede Selma Lagerlöf became the first female Literature Laureate. Youngest versus oldest The youngest Nobel Prize winner to date is Malala Yousafzai, who was 17 years old when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

The oldest prize winner to date is Leonid Hurwicz, who was 90 years old when he was awarded the Prize in Economic Sciences in 2007. Rudyard Kipling is the youngest Literature Laureate to date. The Englishman, best known for The Jungle Book, was 42 years old when he was awarded the Literature Prize in 1907. The oldest Literature Laureate is Doris Lessing, who won the prize in 2007 at the age of 87. Two have declined Two winners have declined the Nobel Prize. Jean-Paul Sartre, awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, declined the award because he had consistently declined all official honours. Le Duc Tho was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for negotiating the Vietnam peace agreement. Le Duc Tho said he was not in a position to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, due to the situation in Vietnam.

Last updated: 17 October 2016 Tags Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Win Leads to Formal Investigation of Award – TheBlaze Tweet President Barack Obama displays the Nobel Peace Prize during a ceremony in the Main Hall of Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Nobel Peace Prize officials were facing a formal inquiry over accusations they have drifted away from the prize’s original selection criteria by choosing such winners as President Barack Obama, as the nomination deadline for the 2012 awards closed Wednesday. The investigation comes after persistent complaints by a Norwegian peace researcher that the original purpose of the prize was to diminish the role of military power in international relations. If the Stockholm County Administrative Board, which supervises foundations in Sweden’s capital, finds that prize founder Alfred Nobel’s will is not being honored, it has the authority to suspend award decisions going back three years – though that would be unlikely and unprecedented, said Mikael Wiman, a legal expert working for the county.

Obama won in 2009, Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won in 2010, and last year the award was split between Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen. For this year’s award, Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina, jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Cuban rights activists Oswaldo Paya and Yoani Sanchez are among the candidates who have been publicly announced by those who nominated them. The secretive prize committee doesn’t discuss nominations – which have to be postmarked by Feb. 1 to be valid – but stresses that being nominated doesn’t say anything about a candidate’s chances. Fredrik Heffermehl, a prominent researcher and critic of the selection process, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that “Nobel called it a prize for the champions of peace.” “And it’s indisputable that he had in mind the peace movement, i.e.

the active development of international law and institutions, a new global order where nations safely can drop national armaments,” he said Especially after World War II, the prize committee, which is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, has widened the scope of the prize to include environmental, humanitarian and other efforts, he said. For example, in 2007 the prize went to climate activist Al Gore and the U.N.’s panel on climate change, and in 2009 the committee cited Obama for “extraordinary efforts” to boost international diplomacy. “Do you see Obama as a promoter of abolishing the military as a tool of international affairs?” Heffermehl asked rhetorically. Nobel, a Swedish industrialist and inventor, gave only vague guidelines for the peace prize in his 1895 will, saying it should honor “work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Nobel said the peace prize should be awarded by a Norwegian committee, and the other Nobel Prizes by committees in Sweden. The two Scandinavian nations were in a union at the time.

Geir Lundestad, the nonvoting secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, dismissed Heffermehl’s claims. “Fighting climate change is definitely closely related to fraternity between nations. It even concerns the survival of some states,” he told AP. Still, the County Administrative Board decided to send a letter to the Stockholm-based Nobel Foundation, which manages the prize assets, requesting a formal response to the allegations. “We have no basis to suggest that they haven’t managed it properly. But we want to investigate it,” Wiman said. “The prize committee must always adjust its rules to today’s society,” he said. “But peace work has to be at the core – it can’t deviate too much from that,” Wiman said. The peace prize and the Nobel awards in chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and economics are always handed out Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

Question: Which of the Nobel prizes is awarded in Norway, not Sweden?
Answer: Peace